


SHADES OF THE PAST

by Stargirl666



Category: Starsky & Hutch
Genre: Angst, First Time, M/M, Paranormal, Relationship(s), Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2017-04-09
Packaged: 2018-10-16 15:27:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10574154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stargirl666/pseuds/Stargirl666
Summary: Hutch decides to take Starsky away on vacation, what they find is not as relaxing as they thought.





	

SHADES FROM THE PAST   
PART ONE

 

No telling how long the alarm was going off. It was the phone that woke him up. He reached out from the cocoon he was wrapped in, and hunted for the blaring sound that invaded his sleep. The phone stopped ringing, and with a sigh, he started to let sleep take back over. Once again, the phone started to ring. He reached back out and grabbed it. He brought it to his ear, with a sigh...”Yeah?”  
“Bout time you picked up.”  
“What do you want?”  
“I hate to wake you from your beauty sleep, but we have to meet Dobey down at Parker. Hey? You listening? Wake up, don’t you dare go back to sleep!”  
“I think all that rabbit food you eat messed up your memory… It’s our weekend.”  
“I know, but I got a call this morning, sounded important. I don’t think Dobey would call unless it was. Starsk, it’s his weekend too.”  
With a sigh, he pulled the covers off his head, and looked at the clock. 7:30 AM.   
“I’m up now. You want me to come get you?” Starsky grumbled.   
“I’m gonna head there now, it’ll give you a chance to wake up and get some coffee. I’ll meet you there.”  
“Okay.” He put the phone back in its resting place. He swung the covers off, and forced himself out of bed. He headed straight for the shower. He found himself sulking. He hated that he had to get out of bed on a Saturday. He hated that he woke up alone. And he really hated that he was forced to work on his day off.   
He got out of the shower, and got dressed. He stopped… something was not right… something… coffee. He smelled coffee, and bacon? Then he heard faint whistling. He made his way out the bedroom door, peaked around the corner, and saw Hutch at the stove, busy making breakfast.   
He walked in the kitchen, grabbed a cup, and filled it with coffee.   
Hutch looked up, and smiled.“I knew the smell of bacon would lure you out of the shower.”  
“As much as I love having breakfast cooked for me… ”  
His partner seemed to read his mind, as he always did. “I had to get you out of bed early somehow, and I figured this was the only way to do it. Did you fall back asleep in the shower?”  
“Funny.” He smiled while taking a drink of the coffee. “So what was so important to drag me from the great dream I was having?”  
Hutch put two plates with eggs, bacon and toast on the table. He grabbed two glasses of juice and placed them on the table, next to a bowl of fresh fruit salad. “Did anyone ever tell you, you ask too many questions?” He sat down and looked up at his partner. “You gonna join me?”  
Starsky pulled the chair out and sat down.   
“What’s up with you?” Now he was puzzled, he looked at his partner who was eating, and slowly picked up his fork. He started eating, but he remained quiet.   
Hutch could not help but grin. He kept his head down, and acted like he did not hear what his partner said. He’d had this planned for a couple of weeks. They both needed a break. He’d made sure everything was planned out, right down to leaving work early one day and packing a bag for his now, very confused partner.   
“How are the eggs?”  
“They are… eggs… hey, what’s going on? You got me…”  
“Worried?”  
“Maybe… really… what…?”  
“It’s a surprise. Let’s get these dishes cleaned up, and get out of here.”   
Looking at Hutch with a cocky grin, He said “How did you know that I wouldn’t be gone when you got here?”  
His partner smiled at him, “Because I know how long your showers are.”  
He got up and started to clean up.

 

*****************  
Hutch walked to his car and opened his trunk. He pulled out two duffel bags. “Open your trunk.”   
Starsky opened his trunk and helped his partner with the bags. He watched Hutch walk back to his car, and pull out a couple grocery bags and return to Starsky. He handed them to him and walked back to his trunk and pulled out a cooler. He set it on the ground and closed his trunk, then walked back with the cooler.   
“Here, help me with this.” Starsky made room with all the other stuff and closed the trunk.   
“You gonna tell me now where we’re going, being that I am driving?”   
Hutch smiled, “I told you, it’s a surprise. Something I have wanted to do for a while. You’ll love it, promise.” He did pretty good with planning, even down to getting his partner in the car and driving to a destination he had no clue where he was going. The one thing he did not have down was what he had to say to his partner.   
For years they had been friends, but over the past year, ever since Starsky was shot, they had grown closer. The nights he helped his partner through the nightmares about Gunther and others from his past, helping fight the demons that plagued his partner, continued to linger in his mind. He remembered holding him close, feeling his breath against his chest, even kissing his head every now and then. Starsky just pulled him in tighter. That was when Hutch started feeling more and wanting more than what they had already been sharing. It seemed they both stopped going on dates. If they did, it was double dates, which usually ended up with the girls being let out at their apartments. They used the excuse that they worked early. It was like a chore to go out anymore. Even when they did make out with the girls in the car at a drive-in, or taking them to bed, their hearts were not into it. Going to Huggy’s for a beer seemed better than getting laid those nights.   
He thought about having Starsky in his arms more than ever these past few weeks. He thought about telling his partner numerous times, but he couldn’t get the words right, or the timing wasn’t right.   
Glancing over at his dark haired God, he envisioned him lying beside him and loving this man from head to toe. He prayed his partner would feel the same and if he didn’t, he would deal with the consequences.   
“Blondie?” Getting Hutch’s attention, he asked, “Where too?”  
“Uh, get on the freeway, down the street.”   
Starsky started to drive, glancing at his partner, seeing him smile, “What’s that smile for?”  
“Oh, just thinking about this weekend.” He smiled back at Starsky.  
“Must be some weekend.”  
“Oh, it will be.” Hutch smiled, glanced out his window and blushed.

 

 

 

 

PART 2

 

They must have driven for two hours, when Hutch pointed to an exit. Starsky pulled off the highway.   
“Make a right.”   
“Can’t I have a hint?”  
“Nope.” He shook his head, “Starsk, you need to be patient.”  
“I’m patient, I’m just … “  
“Here, turn here.”  
Starsky did as his partner said. He turned onto a small road that looked like there was only room for one car. They drove up to a gate.   
Hutch got out and went to the closed gates. He put a key into a box on the side and the gates opened.  
He waved his partner through then closed the gates.  
Getting back in the car, seeing his partner’s dumb-founded look on his face, made him laugh out loud.  
“Starsk, just drive.” He reached over putting his hand on the back of the seat as he always did and took hold of the back of his partner’s neck, rubbing it.   
Starsky drove and it was like they were in the deep woods with all the trees. Then they came out in the sun. Starsky stopped his car. His mouth dropped open. There in front of him was a huge stone mansion. He saw it was three stories tall and it had gables topping it. It had a large covered porch that wrapped all the way around the front and sides. Just by the looks of it, it was old, but well maintained. The grounds around it looked like something out of a Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. He glanced over at his partner. “What… Who owns this? Is this where we’re staying?”  
Hutch was pleased to see Starsky so in awe.  
“Yep. Like it?”  
“Oh man, this looks great!” He looked at the mansion, then back at Hutch. “You did this for me?”  
“Well, for us.” Hutch smiled and continued, “You gonna drive up there, or are we gonna spend the weekend in this coke can looking at the house?”  
Starsky drove to the front of the house and parked. He could not contain the excitement building inside of him. The next thing Hutch knew, he was out of the car and looked like a little kid at an amusement park.   
“This is great, look at this place!!” He ran to the end of the house, looking around the side. “Hey, they have one of those round things with the tops on them, you have picnics in them.”   
By then Hutch was next to his partner, looking at what Starsky was going on about.   
“It’s a gazebo, Starsk.”   
“This is great, whose house is this?”  
“It’s ours till Monday morning.”  
“Really?”   
Hutch laughed, “Really. Let’s go inside and look around, then I can tell you about the house.”  
Heading to the steps leading to the porch and standing at the bottom, the house made them feel small, it was so big.  
They got to the large wood door and Hutch put the key in and opened it.   
The air inside was old. Everything inside the home was antique and looked like original furnishings. It had a big entrance way that lead into a large foyer. Stairs that led up to the second floor were to the right and what looked like a large study to the left. There was also a library to the right, complete with metal circle stairs going to a second level where more books were stored.  
Going straight through the foyer was a large antique mirror with a long wood bench that had a tapestry cushion.   
The next stop was the massive kitchen. It looked like you could cook for an army, or an army could cook for you. They went up the stairs and the floor they were on had ten rooms. They peeked in one or two and the rooms were just as ornate as everything else in the home. They went to the third floor, which had much of the same rooms as the second.   
“Uh… which rooms do we get to sleep in?”  
“Any room you want. We could do a different room each night if you want.” Hutch smiled, “How bout we just pick a couple on the second floor and then go down and unload the car. You got to be hungry by now. It’s going on 2:00.”  
Starsky had been so wrapped up exploring the house, he forgot about his stomach. “Oh yeah, kind of got side tracked. Hutch, this is really nice.”   
The look in Starsky’s eyes made Hutch shiver a little. He put his arm around his partner’s shoulders and touched his head to his.   
“We needed this.”  
“Whose house is this?”  
“A friend of mine from back home. He only stays here when he has business in the area. It’s his family home, it’s over a hundred years old and it’s been passed down from generation to generation. I was here once a long time ago, we were in high school at the time. We stayed here for a week, but we were out on the lake most the time. Then, I didn’t really appreciate the beauty. We were kids then. All I was interested in was boating on the lake and riding the horses that were up the road from here. We had fun.”  
“A hundred years old? You know, this looks a lot like those houses you see on the movies, the ones that are haunted.”  
Hutch laughed, already knowing this conversation was going to head in that direction. “Well, here’s another surprise, this house was used in a few movies like that. Brent rented it out to the movie production people, they used it for a few movies.” Hutch saw the light in his partner’s eyes.  
“That’s cool! Hey, let’s hurry and eat, then we can go in the back and look around.”  
“Anything you say.” He loved seeing his partner like this. On the street, this man was a hellion. He could turn into a dangerous man to any criminal out there. Away from work, he was happy and full of life. He loved the way he got child-like and full of wonder at times, questioning everything. But Hutch knew his partner was smarter than he made out sometimes. This was his partner and he would not change a thing about him. They headed down to the car.  
“Hey, you think they have an attic? All haunted places in the movies have spooky attics!”  
“Well, let’s eat, then maybe we can find out.” Grabbing the bags from the car, and watching Starsky grab the cooler, they headed back in to the kitchen. They ate, then went out to get their belongings and headed up to the rooms on the second floor.   
Hutch picked the first room by the stairs and Starsky picked the room right across from his. After they got settled, they were off again, exploring outside before it got too dark.   
Later that evening, Hutch lit the big fireplace. Starsky brought in a bowl of popcorn and a couple bottles of beer. They sat and relaxed, with the only light coming from the fireplace.   
“This is great, Hutch. Thanks.”  
Hutch smiled, “You’re welcome. You know Starsk, I really thought you were gonna stay home for a while longer after you recovered.”  
“I was ready to come back. I got bored.” Seeing the look in his partner’s eyes, Starsky said “Hutch, I was ready, really. Anyway, it gave you a break from babysitting me.” He grinned, hoping Hutch would change the subject. He knew he had not wanted him coming back so soon. They had even argued about it.   
“Blondie, you worry too much.”  
“Starsk, you hurt that first week. I saw it in your eyes. It was way too soon to be back on the streets and you know it. I love you and I don’t like to see you in pain, especially pain that could have been avoided. I don’t want to lose you.”  
“I was just getting used to everything, anyway it’s not my fault we had to chase a lunatic down the first day. I love you too, Babe, and I ain’t going anywhere.” Starsky looked over at Hutch. He saw his face buried in his hand. “Hey? Something wrong?”   
Hutch looked up at the fire blazing in front of them. He took a deep breath.  
“What?” Starsky insisted. He moved closer to his partner, touching his shoulder.  
“Starsk, ever since you were shot, I have been thinking a lot. The more time we spent together and the more time I took care of you… you… I kinda felt like I wanted to protect you from the world.”  
“Well, I really… ”  
“Starsk, let me finish… please? This is hard enough and I need to get this out. I took care of you and I kinda started… to like it. I mean, well, when I would be at work, I would think about you all day. Then, I couldn’t wait to get home… to my world… you.” He kept his eyes on the fire in front of them.   
Starsky just sat, waiting for his partner to finish what he was trying to say.  
“I really love you, Starsk… ”   
“I love you too… ”  
“No, Starsky.” He looked right in his eyes. He was this far, now he thought, just go on, say it, “I love you, not just friends, but as someone I want to be with. Someone who I can show how much I love them. I… I… d.. don’t know how it happened, it just did. I love you, and … “ He trailed off, tears in his eyes as he looked down. This was it. Starsky was too quiet and he would probably be spending this weekend alone. He waited what seemed like an eternity.   
Starsky put his hand down, and looked at his lap. With a deep sigh he began, “Babe, all the secrets you have today. I got one to top them all.” He glanced up at his partner. “When I got back home and back to everyday things, it wasn’t easy. If I hadn’t had you there I don’t know what I would’ve done. I hated being there without you, and just like you, I couldn’t wait for you to get home. I had all those nightmares and you holding me chased them away. I loved to feel your arms around me. Then we both decided to go out on dates. I tried to get back into the dating scene, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t focus. Even sex was a drag with them, I felt like a robot. They got the hint. I never called them again. We went out as couples and I just played the game.   
One night you got home late. I was climbing the walls that day so I made dinner for you, for a change. I watched you take bites of food and thoughts started running across my mind.” Starsky replaced his hand, but this time, rubbing Hutch’s neck.   
“Every bite of food you took, my mouth was watering to take a taste of you.” This got Hutch’s attention and he shivered.  
“I was surprised that my cock didn’t come out of my pajama pants.” Smiling, he said, “You see Blondie, I’ve been wanting you for a while now and that evening I had to go into the shower to jack myself off because of your sexy mouth.”  
Hutch looked up. He looked like a deer in headlights.   
“You mean… you… all this time too?” Hutch could not believe what he was hearing.   
Starsky gave a small grin. “When we got back to work and we had to go to a meeting, I think it was some internal affairs thing, I remember watching you then, thinking how I wanted to take you in that chair. I went home that night wondering what you would say if I told you that. I ended up just not saying anything. I was afraid you would’ve wanted a new partner.”  
“I would’ve never have done that to you, ever. You know what you’re saying? Do you know what I want? I want it for keeps, Starsk, not some one night or one weekend thing, then we get back to our lives. I want you, all of you, forever.”  
“I know that and I want to give it to you … ” He leaned in and took those lips he had been waiting for. He kissed them deeply. He pulled back, then pulled Hutch closer and took them again. This time Hutch was matching the desire that Starsky had. He pushed his tongue deep into Hutch’s mouth, exploring every inch. They both pulled back for air. Then once again pulled each other to them. They were kissing and groping at each other’s clothes. Suddenly, somewhere upstairs, they heard a door close. 

PART 3

They both pulled back and looked up, then at each other.   
“What the hell….” Hutch went over to a chair that they had placed their jackets on and pulled his gun out.   
Starsky followed and did the same.   
They both headed for the hall, looking up the stairs, and on the landing. They crept up and when they got to the top they heard something down the hall from where their rooms were.   
“This wouldn’t by any chance be your friend coming home?”  
“He’s in Europe, Starsk, and even if he did, he would have called first. He wouldn’t come in unannounced.”  
Starsky shrugged his shoulders then lead the way down the hall. He was on one side, Hutch on the other opening the door to each room, checking them out. They got down to the last two and both came out looking at each other, puzzled.  
“Nothing.” Starsky was kind of hoping he did find someone. The other alternative that crept into his mind was worse. Hutch saw the look on his face.  
“Starsk, I know what you’re thinking, and stop. There has to be a logical explanation for this...”  
Just then, above them, another door slammed. They took off down the hall and up the second flight of stairs. Once again they searched all the rooms on the floor and found no one.   
Hutch was shaking his head,   
“Okay, this is crazy, maybe it was the wind, maybe a window is open and a door to a room was not closed. The wind did it.”  
Starsky just stood there, watching and listening to his partner try to explain what happened.   
“Or maybe the house is haunted.” Starsky replied in a calm voice. He was still looking at his partner with no expression on his face.  
“Oh come on, Starsk, I can’t believe you just said that! There has to be a logical explanation for this. Look, let’s look in the rooms again, then we’ll go to the second floor and look there, then down stairs. I’m sure it was nothing, okay? Besides, I want to continue where we left off.” He pulled his lover into his arms, and kissed him.   
They both went to each room, ending up downstairs in the room they were in before. They walked to the couch, and laid their guns on the table in front of it.   
“Now where were we? Ah, yes...” Hutch started unbuttoning his partner’s shirt, kissing him as he was doing it.   
Although Starsky was kissing back, and undressing Hutch at the same time, he could not help to wonder who slammed those doors. It was above them each time.   
Hutch pulled out of the kiss and pulled Starsky’s shirt off. Looking down at that furry chest, he rubbed it, bending down and kissed it. He pulled his arms out of his shirt and threw it aside.  
Looking into his partner’s eyes, he pulled him back in for another long kiss.  
Starsky melted into his lover’s body. He grabbed for Hutch’s belt and unbuckled it. All the while, Hutch was mimicking his moves and doing the same to Starsky. He had waited so long, and now, this beautiful man was all his tonight.   
“Hey, babe, why don’t we take this upstairs, might be a bit more comfortable.”  
“M’kay.”  
They grabbed their guns off the table, not wanting to be without them.  
Hutch took Starsky by the hand and pulled him out of the room and up the stairs. He kept pulling him to him and stopping every couple of steps to kiss him. They got to Hutch’s room and he pulled his lover in with him. He grabbed onto Starsky’s pants and pulled them down. He helped his partner out of his shoes and pulled his pants and underwear off each leg. He stood up and stepped back a little. He looked at Starsky standing there with his cock standing at attention. Then he moved his eyes up his body. He could not take his eyes off him. He looked deep in his partners eyes, and said,   
“God, Starsk...you’re beautiful.”  
Starsky blushed and looked down. He stepped closer to Hutch and did the same thing to him. He pulled him close. Feeling their naked bodies together and feeling theirs cocks rubbing against each other was making him crazy. He grabbed that blond head and pulled him into a desperate kiss. He began pulling him to the bed.   
They both fell into the bed, still locked together kissing and rubbing up against each other. Starsky pushed his lover back and got on top of him, still kissing him. He kissed his mouth, then slowly moved his way to his neck. He went to his chest and kissed and licked it. He moved to the nub that was so hard and tight, then moved to the other. He made his way down to Hutch’s belly and kissed it. He looked up at his blond, who could not take his eyes off Starsky at all.   
Hutch’s mouth was agape and he was panting slowly. He reached down and ran his hand through the dark curls that he loved so much.   
Starsky smiled and kissed his hand, then moved lower. He rubbed his face against the now engorged cock and took it into his mouth. Hutch almost flew up off the bed. He pushed deep into his lover’s mouth. Starsky held his hips down with both hands, while he slowly pulled off then went back down, taking the treat all the way in. He pulled off again and this time ran his tongue down the back of it to the furry sacks below. He pulled them into his mouth then went back to the waiting cock, and took it in again.   
Hutch was moving his head back and forth. He loved this man so much and knowing his lover was loving him back in the most intimate way, sent shivers all through him. He felt the heat rising and he knew it was not going to be long.   
Starsky knew it too. He tasted the precum in his mouth and he pulled back and licked around the top of it, taking it all in. He then went back down and took Hutch in and down his throat. He felt him swell and then felt it start to pump. He suckled and swallowed every drop of his lover. He did not stop until his cock went soft and started to slide out of his mouth a little.   
Hutch thought he died and went to heaven. He felt the wave hit him, and then he felt like he was floating. When he came out of it, panting and out of breath, Starsky’s head was lying on his stomach.   
He reached down and rubbed his hand on his head.  
“That was...wonderful. Come here.”  
Starsky looked up, then smiled. He climbed up his partner, lying on him, and they kissed.   
Hutch then pushed his lover off and onto his back. He started loving him, starting on his furry chest. He went to each scar and loved each one. Starsky was mesmerized. He watched him kiss and suck each scar, then he watched him move lower.   
Hutch looked up at his partner, who was now looking at him through half closed eyes and had the sweetest smile on his face. He melted. This man had his heart and soul and there was nobody in the world who could ever change that again.   
He moved up on Starsky, straddling him at the waist. He reached under a pillow and pulled out a tube. He opened it and squirted some out in his hand. He reached back and grabbed Starsky’s cock. He put an ample amount on it, especially the tip, then put some more on his finger and reached back and pushed his finger into his puckered opening. Then he rubbed the rest around the outside. He put the tube down, then positioned himself above the now hard and waiting cock. He slowly sat on it, pushing down on it. He stopped and breathed through the discomfort. It finally gave, and he sat all the way down, until Starsky was in him as far as he could go.   
This move made Starsky moan and cry out. He couldn’t get over how that felt, the hot tight tunnel wrapping around him, pulling him in deeper. It took a minute to get going, then, he pushed up, making Hutch gasp. He pulled out and pushed up again until Hutch was matching every thrust. Hearing Hutch whimper and moan made him push up harder and faster.   
Hutch was crying out with each push and dropped forward, kissing his partner, which gave Starsky more room to push harder.   
Starsky could feel his partner’s cock on his stomach, getting full, and he reached between them with his hand and stroked it in time with his thrusts. Precum was at the tip and he felt Hutch growing with every push he made. He could feel himself building too, in fact, he was right on the edge. One or two strokes more was all it took and Starsky felt the warm fluid hit his chest. Hutch’s spasming anus took him over the edge, and he came, pushing up, over and over until he could give no more. Out of breath, and exhausted, he laid there holding his lover on top of him. He could feel himself slide out of Hutch, who was shaking. He pushed him gently on his side, and wiped his now wet hair off his face.   
“Babe, you okay?”  
“Y-yes. I just... I guess it’s first time...s-stuff.”  
Concerned now, Starsky got up, and went into the bathroom. He started a hot bath. He saw a shelf that had some bath items on it. He took the lavender one and poured it in the tub. He checked the water and looked down. He saw blood on the front of his stomach. He reached down and saw it was on his cock also. He took a cloth and wiped himself clean.  
Hutch watched his partner go into the bathroom and heard the water being turned on. He was cramping bad and he could not stop shaking. He pulled the covers up around him, but it did not help. He saw Starsky walk back out and over to him.   
“Hey, let’s get you in a tub of hot water. You’ll feel better. Come on, let me help you up.”  
“Starsk… I… I just want to lay here for a while.”  
“No… you need this. You’ll feel better after, promise.”  
Hutch listened to his partner and forced himself to sit on the side of the bed. He let Starsky help him up and leaned against him. The cramps were bad, as was the shaking. He could not get over how bad he felt. They got in the bathroom and Starsky felt the water.   
“Just like you like it. You need to step in... can you step over this?” It was a claw footed tub, so getting in was challenging for Hutch, who right now could barely walk. He leaned into his lover, and put one leg over, then Starsky lifted him the rest of the way in and helped him sit down. The hot water was like arms wrapping around him. He settled back and leaned his head back.   
“I’ll be right back, I’m gonna go to the kitchen. Just sit there and relax.”  
Hutch nodded, keeping his eyes closed, taking in the lavender smell. It was truly what he needed.  
Starsky headed down the stairs to the kitchen. He looked through the bags Hutch brought, and found a box of chamomile tea. He found a mug and heated the water. 

********************

 

Hutch felt so relaxed. Thoughts of the day, even the weeks before filtered through his mind. How would he have even guessed this weekend would be everything he wanted it to be? He was so worried about telling him and all that worry and stress was for nothing. His heart could not be any fuller right now. He heard the door to the room open, then close. He then heard soft whistling. He smiled. He loved his partner. He loved it when he was taking care of him, as he often did when something happened to him. Or when he was sick. The room got quiet and he heard nothing. He knew Starsky could not have left as the door did not open again.   
“Starsk? Hey, come in here. Why don’t you join me? You can wash my back.” Smiling, he envisioned his partner taking a running leap into the tub. “Starsk?”   
Just then, he heard the door open again and heard what sounded like plates rattling. The door closed and he heard Starsky call out.  
“Hey babe, I got you something real good. It will warm you up inside. I also got us a snack.” He opened the bathroom door wider and peeked in. “Feeling better?”  
Hutch just stared at his lover. He looked down and looked out the door to the bedroom.  
“What’s the matter?”  
“Uh, nothing...I uh.”  
“We need to get you out of there.” He helped Hutch stand and got him out of the tub. He wrapped a big towel around him and dried him off.   
“Can you walk okay?”  
“Yeah.” He let him lead him to the bed and he got in between the covers. He started to pull them completely over him but and his partner stopped him.   
“Wait, I need to check you out.”  
“I’m okay, really, that bath helped out a lot.” Hutch said with a small grin.  
“You were bleeding, I just want to see for myself, okay?’  
With a sigh, Hutch spread his legs and pulled them up. Starsky inspected him and Hutch noticed he had a tube in his hand. Starsky pushed some cream out onto his finger and rubbed the cold stuff around his anus. Then he slightly pushed his finger up into him and rubbed it around. This made Hutch gasp.   
“Sorry, babe. Okay, it’s done.”  
“Well thanks. Doctor.” Hutch said with a slight smile.   
Starsky smiled back.   
“If you’re good, maybe later I’ll give you a full exam.” Starsky gave him a mischievous grin, wiggling his eyebrows.   
“I just might take you up on that. Do I have to make an appointment?”  
“Nope.” Starsky handed him a mug of tea. “I’ll make a mental note of it.” He bent down and kissed him.   
Hutch looked up and grabbed his arm, not letting him pull up and kissed him again.   
“Mmmm, just what the Dr ordered. I love you Starsk.” Hutch said, looking deep in his eyes.  
“Love you too, Blintz. Now drink this before it gets cold. Here, I brought these up too.” He found the cookies that Hutch had packed.  
Starsky slid in next to his partner and scooted up next to him. Hutch shared the cookies with his lover and finished the tea. He put the cup on the nightstand. Starsky reached over, and turned off the light. The only light in the room was a small night light coming from the bathroom. He pulled his partner down so he was lying on his back and pulled the covers up over both of them.   
“I’m glad you planned this, babe. The only problem is, I might not leave you alone the rest of the weekend.” Starsky said with an evil grin.  
“Oh?”  
“Yep. I’m gonna have a hard time keeping my hands off you, in fact, I might not let you put clothes on till Monday morning.”  
Hutch laughed.   
“Whatever you want to do, I’m all yours.” He kissed him and pulled him close.   
Starsky smiled, “You got that right.”   
Hutch loved feeling his lover in his arms, listening to his steady breathing. He felt content. He realized Starsky was asleep so he pulled him tighter and started to fall asleep himself. He was thinking about the bedroom door opening and closing and the whistling. Just now realizing, if was not Starsky, then who was it? It was obvious the person could not have gotten out the door or he would have heard it. Even if he went through a window, he would have heard the fumbling. He did not want to even think about it being a ghost, so for now, he decided to not tell his ‘over active’ friend. He would keep it to himself. He fell into a deep sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

PART 4

 

Pounding… Pounding…   
Hutch’s eye’s popped open. Was he dreaming? No, the noise… like someone was banging on doors, or walls. It was all around, not in one specific spot. He sat up and glanced over to the empty side of the bed. “Starsk?” When he did not get a response, he jumped up, grabbing his pants, and pulling them on. He then he grabbed his gun off the night stand and headed for the door. As he opened the door, the pounding stopped. He moved out into the hall and looked around. He went to the landing, looking down, and then went back to where his partner’s room was. He knocked on the door, and let himself in. “Starsk? You in here?” No answer. He flipped on the light, only to see an empty, undisturbed bed. He turned around and there was Starsky… Hutch jumped about two feet. “What the hell! Don’t ever do that!”  
“Sorry… I heard banging. I went to check it out.” Starsky replied. Then he snorted and ran his hand through Hutch’s hair. “Sorry, babe, I didn’t mean to scare ya.”  
Hutch smiled and leaned his head into the loving hand. “It’s okay; I guess I was kind of jumpy. Find anything? What was making that noise?”  
“Don’t know. I didn’t even know where the hell it was coming from. I looked everywhere. It sounded like it was coming from around the front door, but when I got to the stairs, it sounded like it was all over. I went down to the kitchen and front rooms of the house and then it just stopped.”  
Hutch took a deep breath, then looked down and shook his head.   
“Well, you know we won’t get any sleep until we check this whole place out, so let’s go and do that now.” Then, Hutch said with a sigh, “I guess we’ll start down stairs and work our way up. I’m thinking maybe we need to find the basement. Maybe it’s something mechanical with the heater, or pipes or something.”  
Starsky just stood there looking at his partner. Hutch saw that look, he rolled his eyes. “Starsk, stop it!”  
“I didn’t say anything.” Starsky just stood there staring at his partner.  
“I can read your mind, it’s not ghosts!”  
Starsky turned and lead the way out of the room and heading to the stairs. Once they were down in the kitchen they searched the entire room. Then they made their way all through the first floor. They were opening any doors they found, looking for the basement entrance. Most were closets. One lead out to the room with the fireplace. One was some kind of dark room, that had photos of the house, and grounds. It was obvious that the room had not been touched for a very long time.  
“Hey, look at this!” Starsky called his partner in the small room.  
“Look at these pictures. This one is the room out there and this is the main entrance. Why all the pictures of the house? Is your friend a photographer?”  
“Hm, I don’t know. He never really said and by the looks of these pictures, these were taken a long time ago.” Hutch was just as puzzled as Starsky.  
“Look at this. It’s a picture of a weird room. There’s a lot of them. Look at this stack.” Hutch said while fanning through the pile.   
“I wonder where this room is? I didn’t see it when we were looking around.” Starsky said.  
Hutch took one of the photos. He looked close, then grabbed another from the table. He glanced over to some of the equipment in the room. It was a bit dated.   
“This stuff, it’s got to be about 30 years old or more.” Hutch, studied the picture. “No, we didn’t go in this room, I would have remembered it. It’s… odd.”  
“What?” Starsky was next to his partner now, looking down at the picture.  
“Well, look, this has a person in it, but it looks like they moved, so it’s blurred a bit. But look here,” Hutch pointed to a cabinet in the room. “This looks like a medical cabinet, it has bottles in it. Then next to it is a bed and you see what looks like part of a wheelchair. Maybe this wasn’t taken here.”  
Starsky looked at Hutch, “Maybe that’s a good thing. That’s a creepy picture, and look at that person, they look deranged.”  
Hutch snorted, “It’s an old picture, they all look like that in real old pictures. It doesn’t have dates on them, probably because they were developed here. Maybe who ever this person was that lived here once, was a photographer. I wonder why the house has been kept in pristine condition, right down to the floors being so clean you could eat off them and this room is like this? Or even here for that matter.”  
“Hey, let’s get out of here, this place gives me the creeps.” Starsky felt a chill run through him.  
“I’m with you, babe.” Hutch closed the door, then studied it, running his fingers at the top where it closed.  
“What now?” Starsky looked where his partner was touching.   
“It looks like a lock was on here at some time or another. That’s… strange.”   
“Come on, let’s keep looking for the basement.” Starsky pulled his partner away from the door.   
Hutch followed him. Something bothered him about that picture. He couldn’t quite place why he was bothered. He shook it off and continued following his lover out of the room.   
They went back into the kitchen and started opening doors once more.  
“Geez, you think they got enough storage rooms?” Starsky chuckled.  
“Look at the size of the house. Maybe way back when they had a lot of guests.” Hutch replied.  
Starsky opened another door. “Bingo.”  
Hutch looked over. Starsky was holding a door open, smiling. 

***********************  
The basement was not nearly the size that the house was. It was probably a fourth of the size.  
In one area, there were storage shelves that had what looked like various holiday decorations. There were boxes of household things, and at the far end, there were canned goods. The canned goods looked to be a recent addition to the shelf. It also had bulk type food items and household cleaners. Over in another corner were a washer and dryer, with a table that had a few boxes of laundry detergent and bleach on it.   
“Looks like a basement.” Starsky said.  
Hutch was looking at the massive heating and air conditioning unit. “This must be a recent addition to the house. Well, he does live in it from time to time. In fact, he told me he was here for 5 months the last time.”  
“Well, there’s nothing here, let’s go upstairs. It’s getting light out, and I’m starving.” Starsky pulled his lover into his arms. “I love that you did this for us this weekend… even though we are being haunted.”  
Hutch snorted, “It’s not haunted. But even if it was, being here with you makes it all worthwhile.” Hutch moved in for a deep kiss.  
They both went back upstairs to get dressed. Starsky glanced around Hutch’s room, then he realized his bag was in the room across the hall.   
“I need to go get my clothes. Be right back.”  
Starsky went to the room and started shoving the few things he had gotten out earlier back in the bag. He went in the bathroom and grabbed his toiletry bag. He smiled, thinking about his partner putting everything together for this weekend. Knowing the entire time his lover was planning all of this, that Hutch had the thought in the back of his mind he might be rejected. He stared in the mirror and rubbed his hand over his chest. The thoughts of the bullets ripping through him and him having no escape came to mind. Then waking up, seeing his blond partner jumping up and down and practically mauling a nurse, made him chuckle out loud. The memories of Hutch holding him, while he was recovering, made him feel warm inside. He remembered him rubbing his mouth on his forehead, then giving him a slight kiss. That memory made him feel a bit lightheaded. He loved Hutch with all his heart, and there was nothing that he wouldn’t do for his friend.  
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. That is when he heard a very quiet voice. It was a rough sounding male voice. His eyes sprung open, and he swung around, looking in the bedroom. He pulled his gun out and moved into the room, “Who’s here?!” He demanded. He then looked on the side of the bed and got down far enough to peek under it. Then he went to the closet door, put his hand on the knob, and with the mental count of three, he swung the door open. Nothing. Did I imagine that? Yeah, Starsky, he thought, you keep telling yourself that as you get the hell out of here. Starsky grabbed the toiletry bag he had dropped on the floor. He grabbed his overnight bag, and as he left the room, he again heard the quiet voice. But this time, he heard what it said.   
“Get out”.

 

**************************

 

Starsky got into the other bedroom, where his partner was humming and straightening the room up.   
He looked up as Starsky came in, then stopped. One glance at his lover’s face told him something was wrong, very wrong. He walked over to him and took the bags from his hands and threw them in a nearby chair.   
“Hey? What’s the matter, babe?” Hutch stood there, looking at his partner. Starsky’s face was pale and he looked quite shaken up.   
“Starsk? What? What happened?” He held on to his lover’s arms.  
Starsky looked at Hutch, then down to the floor. “I… I… Maybe this...” He shook his head.   
“Hutch, I… I… was in the other room getting my stuff.” Then he stopped and looked down again.   
“What? Babe? What happened?” Hutch said, then moved a hand to his lover’s cheek.  
Starsky looked back up into Hutch’s eyes. “I heard someone say something.”  
Hutch stood there, waiting for his partner to finish.  
“I was getting my stuff from the other room, and heard… a guy say something. I didn’t know what he said at first. I searched the room. I couldn’t find anyone. I grabbed my stuff and when I was closing the door, I heard him again, but...”  
Hutch at this point was more concerned with someone being in the house with them. “Babe? What did he say?”  
“He said…” Starsky looked up at his partner, not wanting him to think he was crazy and trying to read his partner’s face. “‘Get out.’”  
With that, Hutch grabbed his gun off the night stand and ran out the door of the room. He ran across the hall into the open door where his partner’s room was.  
“Uh, Hutch… I closed this door.”  
Hutch searched the room, although he knew he would not find anyone. They had obviously left.  
“I’m not crazy, Hutch, I heard it, plain and clear when I left this room.”  
“Listen,” Hutch went to his partner, he saw the look on his partners face, “You’re not crazy. If you heard it I believe you. Someone might be here and we need to find them. Okay?”  
“M’kay. Where do we start?” Starsky was ready. He trusted his partner’s instinct, and he followed it. He wanted answers, and even though that unnerved him a bit, he knew that his partner was probably right that someone was here with them. Maybe. “I’m… not scared, or anything...” He looked down at his feet.   
Hutch had to grin. His lover looked so cute and helpless. He knew his partner had to have some kind of control over certain situations, and this time, he didn’t. That is what scared his lover. He ran his hand through the curls and kissed him.   
They spent a couple of hours searching the house. They even spent time looking for an attic entrance, which they did not find.   
“Kind of weird we can’t find the attic, ain’t it?” Starsky asked.  
“Starsk, these old houses have so many hidden ways to get to other rooms. It was probably right in front of our noses and we missed it.”   
Hutch put his arms around his partner’s waist, facing him. He pulled him into a long kiss.   
“You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, you know that? I’ve waited for this for a long time and nobody is gonna screw this up. How bout we go down stairs and look in the fridge. I think there is a surprise I left in there for you.”   
Once in the kitchen, Starsky opened the refrigerator door and looked around.   
“Look in that bag.” Hutch said pointing to brown paper bag.  
Starsky pulled it out and opened it. His eyes lit up and a smile came across his face.  
“Steaks! Hutch… that’s great!” Starsky leaned into Hutch’s arms and his mouth covered his lover’s. As he was kissing him, he blindly set the bag on the large counter in back of Hutch. He pulled his blond in closer and pulled his shirt out of his lover’s pants. He pulled out of a kiss, just to pull his shirt over his head. Then he pulled him back into a kiss.   
Hutch found he could not keep his hands off his lover. He grabbed at his clothes and unbuckled his belt. He rubbed his hand down the front of the now, very tight jeans, and felt the rock hard cock behind the material. He kept rubbing, all the way down between his legs, then back up. He unbuttoned the jeans, then slid the zipper down, pulling the pants down over his lover’s hips as he went. Starsky’s now dripping cock, seemed to bounce out of the jeans and hit his stomach. Hutch pulled away, and undid his own pants, pulling them down. He kicked them to the side and he went to his knees. He took the massive treat in his mouth and sucked it in as far as it would go without him gagging. He could taste the precum, and he ran his tongue over the tip, and sucked it in. Hearing his lover moan, and feeling his hands running through his hair, only sent sirens down to his own growing cock.   
All Starsky could do was put his head back and enjoy the ride. The feel of that hot beautiful mouth on him was enough to send him to the moon. He needed more.  
“Hutch… c’mere,” Starsky said, panting and feeling Hutch climb his body. “I want you...”  
“I’m all your’s lover. You can have me.” Hutch said, kissing Starsky with all the passion he had.  
Starsky pulled away, trying to catch his breath.  
“No, I need you… in me. I need to feel you. Please Hutch...”  
Hutch kissed him tenderly, then pulled him in to a hug. “Are you sure? “  
“Oh, God, yes.” Pulling the blond head toward him Starsky kissed him desperately.   
Hutch pulled his partner toward the table. He got him next to it, then pulled away and pushed Starsky face down over it. He looked around the kitchen and saw a bottle of oil he placed on the counter yesterday. He went over and grabbed it, opening it on the way back to his lover. He put some in his hand, and rubbed it on his engorged cock. Feeling the puckered opening he pushed his finger into it. Hearing his partner gasp, he moved it around slowly, then he added another finger. Feeling the opening give, he pulled them out. Hutch reached down and put his cock up to the opening and pushed the head of it in. Hearing Starsky grunt, and hearing his breathing getting labored, he rubbed his back. “Relax, babe, just relax.” He bent down, and kissed his lover’s back, then reached around, and wrapped his hand around Starsky’s cock, and started to pump it. Starsky cried out. That was when the tight ring gave and Hutch pushed in the rest of the way. He took a breath and put his face into the dark curls. “You okay?”  
At first, Starsky had no response. He was still panting. Then he nodded.  
Hutch pulled out, then pushed in as he started a rhythm. He pumped his partner’s cock with every push, until Starsky was pushing back. Hutch could feel him being pulled into his lover. He felt so complete.   
“Oh, God, Hutch… more, please, more…” Starsky was crying out, then Hutch felt warm liquid over his hand, and felt the spasms of Starsky’s anus pulling him deep inside. That brought Hutch over the edge and he himself was screaming out loud.  
It took Hutch a few minutes to stand. He was being supported by his partner, who was still lying face down on the table, panting. He pushed himself up and stood, looking down at his lover. He rubbed his back, then bent over and kissed him.   
“You okay, babe?” He rubbed his hands through the dark curls, which he loved so much. Starsky moved, and started to push himself up. Hutch helped him the rest of the way, his lover was shaking, and unsteady on his feet, so Hutch held him close and kissed him.   
Starsky held onto Hutch. He glanced down at the bottle of oil and, still out of breath, he said, “You know? My parents used to use olive oil for everything, ear aches, cleaning hands, even if you got something in your eye. Few drops and you were cured.”  
Hutch chuckled, “Well now you can add this to that list.”   
Starsky laughed. “I think my Ma will be surprised.”   
“You okay?” Hutch said in a tender voice. “You need to soak in a tub?”  
Shaking his head, Starsky pulled his lover close. “I’m fine, I have you now.” He kissed him.  
Hutch felt like he was floating, he had never been happier. “Hey, as much as I would love to fuck you all over this kitchen and main floor, I think we need to get dressed, and get that pit going out there.”   
He ran his hand through the soft dark curls, “I know you have to be starving by now. I want you to have your strength for the rest of the weekend.” He kissed him gently.  
“What about the ghost?” Starsky gave him a sly grin.  
“Well, he is gonna have to get his own lover, you’re taken.” Hutch started to pick up his clothes, and Starsky’s at the same time. They both got dressed, and Starsky went to the patio to light the grill. 

 

PART 5

 

As Hutch was gathering the remaining items from their brunch off the patio table, he watched his partner roam around the back yard. He saw him go towards the lake and pick up what appeared to be a rock. He skipped it across the water. That made Hutch smile, as he brought the armful inside.  
Starsky loved this place, he was even daydreaming about it being his and Hutch’s. He would love to get up every morning to all this. He skimmed a few rocks and continued walking around the lake. Something caught his eye, and he glanced around the side of the house towards the front. There stood Hutch staring at him. Starsky smiled, then waved. “Hey! Let’s take a walk all the way around here!”  
Hutch just stood there, then turned and walked to the front of the house.   
“Hey, wait!” Starsky ran towards the side and headed to the front yard where his partner was.  
“Hutch, what’s the matter? Hey!”   
Hutch stopped at the front steps, then looked right at Starsky. With no expression, he headed up the stairs into the house.  
Starsky ran towards his partner. What happened to him, he thought. Was he afraid of something, or mad at him?  
As Starsky entered the house, he looked around then looked up. Hutch was climbing the third floor steps.  
“Hutch, wait! Are you okay?” Starsky climbed the stairs two by two, trying to catch up to his partner.  
He got to the top of the steps, and glanced around, then saw Hutch walking down the hall.  
Starsky ran towards him, as Hutch opened what Starsky remembered to be a closet. That puzzled him.   
“Hutch?”   
Hutch walked into it, and Starsky stopped, then proceeded slowly toward the closet. “Babe? What the...” As he rounded the door frame, there was no Hutch. Just then, from downstairs, he heard a voice. “Starsk? You up there? Where are you?”   
Starsky felt his stomach tighten, and before he knew what was happening, he was running down the hall, and descending the stairs to the second floor. Just as he got to the landing, Hutch rounded the corner from their room, and Starsky almost plowed him down.   
“What the hell, babe, slow down.” Hutch had to laugh, then he noticed his friend’s face. It was pale and sweat pouring from it. “Babe, what happened?!”   
Starsky couldn’t talk. At first he stepped back, just staring at his partner, then he reached out and touched his arm, and then pulled back.   
“What’s the matter? Starsk? You’re worrying me, buddy. What?!”  
Starsky was trying to get his thoughts straight, he shook his head and looked down.   
“Uh… I thought I saw… but you… now you’re here...”  
“Come here.” Hutch pulled his lover into the bedroom and made him sit on the bed. “Okay, take a breath, babe, then tell me what happened.” Hutch sat next to him.  
“You’re here...” He looked at Hutch.  
That made Hutch chuckle a little, “I’m here, babe.”  
“No, I mean, yes, now you are. But you were upstairs before… I followed you. You looked at me and kept walking. I got upstairs and you walked into a closet.”  
“A closet? Babe...”  
“I got to the closet and you were gone. Then you were down here. I heard you calling me from here.” Starsky knew he was sounding crazy at that point. He sighed and looked down at the floor, then took both hands and placed his face in them and then rubbed it. He glanced at Hutch over his fingers. He put his hands back down.   
“I was downstairs, babe, cleaning up in the kitchen. I went out to look for you and you were gone. I looked all over the back and front. Then I came inside. I figured you went up here to maybe get something or change. Then I ran into you, or you ran into me.” Hutch smiled, trying to make his partner laugh, but he saw turmoil in his lover’s face. “Babe, I was downstairs. Are you sure...”  
“Hutch, I know what I saw, and I saw you. You walked up those fucking steps and into a closet!” Starsky shouted.  
Hutch cleared his throat, “Okay, this is what is gonna happen. We are going up stairs, and you show me where I… this person that looked like me, went. Come on.” He stood up, made sure his gun was still tucked into his waistband and he pulled his partner up.   
Starsky followed Hutch, but he pulled his gun out and kept it in his hand. They both went up to the top floor and walked down the hall to the closet door. Starsky gave the door a strange look.   
Hutch saw that look and put his hand on the knob. “This the right one?”  
Starsky slowly nodded, then said, “When I heard you call me, I got… I left to find you...uh, I don’t remember closing the door, that’s all.” He looked down, embarrassed.   
“Hey, babe.” Hutch reached out, and touched his lover’s face.  
Starsky leaned into it and almost broke down in tears. “I’m kinda...uh, well… it sort of...”  
Hutch leaned in to kiss his curly haired hellion. He finished his sentence for him. “Scared?”  
Starsky blushed and looked down. “I guess.” Then he looked up at Hutch, “It was you, It was you I followed up here, I swear, I wasn’t imagining it… It was you.”  
Hutch couldn’t take it anymore, he took his lover in his arms, and held him tight.   
Starsky held on just as tight to his partner. He felt confused and that made him frightened.   
Hutch pulled back and gave his lover a kiss. “We are going to find out what the hell is going on here. Get yourself together, babe, okay? There has to be an explanation, and we are gonna find it.” When Hutch saw his partner was back in control again, he looked at him, and Starsky nodded. That was Hutch’s cue to open the door. He took his gun out, and grabbed the handle. He opened it fast, and there was an empty closet. It had some shelving in it on the sides and back. Some buckets, a few brooms and dust mops, and a box of rags.   
They both inspected it top to bottom, and as they were about to leave, something shiny caught Hutch’s attention. He bent down, and looked at the middle shelf, towards the back. He stood up and glanced at Starsky. “Well, I guess we found the entrance to the attic.”  
Starsky bent down and there was a brass knob showing through wood, which boarded up the back wall of the closet.  
Hutch started to pull items off the shelves and then dismantle the shelving. Starsky was pushing things aside as Hutch handed them to him. Finally, they were facing the wood planks. Starsky started pulling them down, one by one. They both stared at the door.   
Starsky found his voice. “Uh,” he cleared his throat. “Attic.”He pointed to the door, then looked at Hutch.  
Hutch nodded, then grabbed the knob. “Want to go first, or you want me too?”  
Starsky looked at the knob, then to Hutch, “I’ll go first.” With gun in hand, he turned the knob.  
Hutch touched his hand, “You don’t have to do this, ya know?”   
“It’s okay, I’m okay.” He smiled slightly. “’Sides, I don’t want you to think I’m a total wimp here, being scared and all.”  
Hutch smiled and looked down, “You’re not a wimp, Starsk. If I saw what you saw, I would be just as scared.” He touched his partner’s arm.  
Starsky sighed a little, then gave Hutch a nervous smile, “Ready?”  
Hutch nodded. “Ready.”  
Starsky again turned the knob and slowly pushed the door open. There were a lot of cobwebs, layers of dust on the floor, and the stairs in front of them. There was a bit of light coming from up the steps, and there was what looked like a gate up at the top, that took up the whole door. The gate was partially open, but you could tell years of dust and strings of cobwebs covered it.   
Starsky turned and grabbed a broom standing along the side of the closet, then he swished away the cobwebs and made a path to the stairs. They walked up slowly, as Starsky made sure the way was clear. They got to the gate, and Starsky pushed it open with the broom. They did notice going up the stairs, there were no foot prints. The stairs had been unused for a long time.   
As they walked through the gate, Starsky gasped.  
In front of them was a hospital bed, a wheelchair, and medical cabinets and some sort of medieval medical machine.  
Layers of dust were everywhere. Medical books lined shelves. Medical gadgets filled the cabinets and drawers. There were bottles of what looked like small organs, floating in liquid, that was almost gone from the bottles. There was a fire place, with a portrait hanging above it. It was a young man, in a suit. He was sitting on a large wicker chair out in the back yard of the mansion. You could see the lake behind him. He must have been about fifteen or so years old.   
Hutch looked at the picture, then got closer, “Starsk? Something’s not right.”  
With a snort, Starsky said, “You’re telling me.”  
“No, this room, this person here… something’s odd about all this, look...” Hutch walked over to an open closet. It was big enough to walk into. It had boy’s clothes hanging up, and a couple of chest of drawers, which were also full of clothes. Hutch looked through a few drawers, and Starsky looked through a few wooden crates on the floor. He stopped, reached behind one of the crates, and pulled out a couple of sets of leg braces.   
He looked up at Hutch, who was looking past him. Starsky turned around and looked. There were clothes hanging, but behind them was another door. He stood up and turned around facing the hidden door. “This place is a regular carnival maze. There better not be a clown on the other side of that door.”  
Hutch walked to the door, moved the clothes to one side, and exposed the whole door.   
He looked at Starsky, “I got this one, buddy.” He smiled and opened the door.

 

PART 6

 

Hutch slowly opened the door. The room was smaller than the previous one. The odd thing about this room was that it was missing the layers of dust. There was a desk in the room, with various things normally found on a desk. A big leather chair was behind it and it had a couple file cabinets in the corner. There were a couple of chairs in front of the desk. They were the same rich leather, but smaller. This room had a finished wood floor. There was a big rug in the center of the room that everything sat on. Another odd thing about the room was that the walls were empty, no pictures, no nothing.   
Starsky looked around and went up to the file cabinets. There were various folders up on top of the cabinets in stacks. One file drawer was partially open. Starsky pulled out the drawer which contained more files.   
While Starsky was looking in the file cabinet, Hutch was busy looking through the desk. He opened the bottom drawer and there was a silver pistol. He did not disturb it. He knew his friend was in this house alone a lot, so having a gun did not surprise him. He continued pulling open drawers until his partner interrupted him.  
“Hutch, was your friend in the Army?”  
Hutch looked up and chuckled, “He tried when we graduated, but they wouldn’t take him. He busted his leg in three places during a field trip. He fell off a cliff. He has so much metal in his leg I’m surprised he doesn’t jingle.”  
Starsky winced, “Ouch.”  
Hutch looked back down, then up at his partner again, “Why?”  
“I don’t know, this is weird. It’s got Brent’s name on it, and it says something about assets, and…um… “  
“That would sound about right. He’s got money, Starsk.”  
Starsky shook his head, “No, these are more like companies. Then it shows bank accounts overseas and here.” Starsky whistled, “He’s loaded.”  
“Why did you ask if he was in the Army?” Hutch asked.   
“It says on the line his name is on, ‘G. I’.”  
“Let me see that Starsk.” Hutch took the folder and looked over the papers. He read over them. Something looked familiar about some of these names of companies. He had seen this before, but where?   
He glanced up at his friend’s name, then the initials. He stood there for a moment and all of a sudden it hit him. A very bad feeling came over him. He glanced up at his partner, “Uh, Starsk… this… “  
Starsky glanced up from the folders he was going through in the cabinet. Seeing the look on Hutch’s face concerned him, “What?”  
“Starsk, the GI is not an Army title. It’s… uh… “  
“Babe, what?” Starsky was heading toward his partner.  
“Gunther Industries.” Hutch said. He saw the color drain from his lover’s face and he saw him break out into a sweat.   
All Starsky had to do was hear that name and the memories came flooding back. All the pain and paranoia came back to him. He stood there, not able to speak, He glanced around nervously and then started to shake uncontrollably.   
Hutch dropped the folder and took one big step toward his lover. He took him in his arms and gathered him close. He saw fear in his partner’s eyes. He pulled him tighter into his chest. “Babe, let’s go, let’s get out of here, huh?”   
Starsky contained a sob, he was losing control and he hated it. He hated what that asshole had done to him. He hated that he invaded his dreams. He hated all the counseling and all the months it took to finally get his body healed. His chest and back looked like a war zone, all because of that bastard, and here his name comes up again. He pulled his blond tight against him, wishing he could melt into him and never come out.   
Hutch held his lover close. Over the years he had seen his partner go though many things. Fear never stayed long when they were on a case and bullets were flying. But this last time broke Starsky. He was shaking so bad, Hutch had to back up against the desk to keep his own footing. “Listen to me, babe, we need to go downstairs now, okay?” No response came from his partner, who was still shaking. Hutch stood up and pulled Starsky toward the door leading back to the medical room. Then he glanced over his shoulder and noticed another door in the corner. He turned around and pulled Starsky with him. He opened the door and glanced down the dark steps which seemed to disappear around a corner.   
Starsky started to regain control again. He was following the lead of his blond. He stopped, looking at Hutch. “What’s this all mean?”   
Hutch stood for a moment looking down, then up into his partner’s eyes. “I don’t know what all that on that paper means, but I do know we probably need to get the hell out of here. Starsk, I think this call out of the blue from Brent and us being here is a set up. Are you okay now?” He touched the side of his lover’s face.   
Starsky took one big cleansing breath and looked back up at Hutch. “Yeah, let’s go.”   
Just then, something behind them stirred. It was the clothes hanging to the side of the door leading into the medical room closet. They both drew their weapons and slowly approached the door and glanced in. With a quiet ‘one, two, three’, Starsky plowed through and looked side to side at the clothes. Then he proceeded into the medical room and stopped.   
Hutch saw his partner come to a halt. He glanced around then looked where Starsky was looking. There in the corner, stood the boy from the portrait. Hutch couldn’t believe his eyes; he even looked at the portrait as if to prove this was what he was seeing.   
Starsky was quiet. He said nothing, just stared at the boy, who now had a slight smile on his face. It was almost as he was silently communicating with Starsky somehow.   
“Hutch, tell me you see him.” Starsky asked, still staring at the boy.  
Hutch found his voice, “I see him.”  
Then the boy slowly faded away. Both men just stood there, then Starsky turned around looking at Hutch. “I’m glad you saw him too.” Starsky said, as if to prove his sanity.  
Hutch touched his arm. “Starsk, we have to get the hell out of here.”  
“Okay.” Starsky followed Hutch back through to the office, glancing back to see if the boy was there. He sighed.   
Hutch was standing at the door to the stairway they had found. “You’re sure you’re okay?”  
Starsky nodded and followed Hutch down the stairs.   
The stairway lead to a panel which had a button on the side. Hutch pushed it and the panel opened. It led out to a bedroom. Hutch glanced around. There were items on the dresser and bed stand. Obviously the room was used and the way it looked, it was probably Brent’s. He walked over to the bed table and opened the drawer then closed it.  
Starsky broke the silence, “Well, this weekend has been full of surprises. Now what the hell would she be doing with him.”  
Hutch turned around and saw Starsky with a picture frame. He walked over and Starsky handed it to him.   
Hutch stared at the picture. Brent was in the picture, holding a woman,  
Kira.   
Hutch looked at Starsky. Something inside him told him they needed to move now. He threw the picture down and grabbed Starsky’s arm. They ran to the door and down the hall. They headed to the second floor, to their room. Hutch thought, it’s a good thing they kept most of their stuff packed. They threw the few extra things they had into the bags and headed out the door to the stairs.   
They went down the stairs toward the door.   
“What about the stuff in the kitchen?” Starsky asked.  
“Forget it. Let’s just get the hell out of here… “  
Just then a voice Hutch knew too well spoke.  
“Kenny, Kenny, Kenny… what’s the big hurry? Thought you needed a bit of R and R?  
Three very large men were now standing in front of the door.  
“Brent.” Hutch said curtly.  
“Looks like you two could use a drink. Patrick, show these two gentlemen into the front room.”  
One of the large men walked toward them and took the bags out of Starsky’s hand.   
“Oh, and Ken? I want you to give him your guns also.” Brent walked into the front room.   
The other two men closed in while Starsky and Hutch handed Patrick the guns. They both followed Brent into the room.   
“It’s been a while, Ken. This must be Starsky.”  
“Look, we were just leaving.” Hutch said.  
“I know, but, I had other plans for your weekend.” Brent said with a smile.  
Hutch was getting agitated, “Brent, we don’t want trouble, just let us go.”  
Brent smiled, “I’m afraid I can’t do that. You see, you guys know way too much for one. The other thing is that a couple people I know don’t like you two very much.”  
“What do you mean by that? We don’t know crap. All I do know is we are going to head for that door and if you are smart, you’ll not stop us.” Hutch grabbed Starsky’s arm and started to turn.   
“Ken, how stupid do you think I am? You guys have been all over this house with your noses in everything. There are cameras all over. You two love birds have been watched ever since you came into this place.” Brent laughed. “Kinda figured you to be a ladies man, oh wait… Starsky... right.”   
Before Hutch knew what was happening, Starsky was on Brent, throwing punches. Hutch pulled him off before Brent’s goons were on his partner.   
Brent stood up and wiped the blood from his mouth. He straightened his clothes and took a drink.   
“You’re just as stupid as Gunther said you were.” He looked at Patrick, “Take them up to the attic and lock them in. You two are going to be my guests for a day or so. I hope the accommodations are comfortable. You won’t have to worry for long; you two will be history soon. Just like everything else in this God forsaken house. Hated this place as a kid, it’s going to be great to see it burn to the ground, with you both in it. Of course you’ll be dead before it goes up in flames.”   
Starsky and Hutch stood looking at Brent. Just as Hutch was about to do or say something, he felt a pain in his head, and he was out.

 

 

 

 

CHAP 7

 

Starsky opened one eye feeling pain in his head. He held on to it as he sat up. The room was spinning, then it gradually stopped. He looked over and saw his partner lying still.   
“Hutch!” He went over and gently rolled him on his back. “Hutch, Babe? Wake up, come on.”  
Hutch moaned. His eyes came open and he felt the pounding in his head. “...What happened, where are we?”  
“In Brent’s attic. His goons knocked us out and drug us up here.” Starsky took him by the arm, “Can you get up?”   
Hutch nodded and let his partner help him up.   
Starsky walked to the stairs with the gate. It was locked. Then he headed towards the closet. It was open to the office.   
When it dawned on Hutch the room was open, he ran in and opened the desk drawer. The gun was still there. He checked it and it was loaded. He rummaged through the drawer and pulled out a box of bullets. “I think Brent would love us to have this as a parting gift.”  
Starsky smiled and headed to the stairs that lead them to Brent’s room. The door was locked.   
“Okay, what plan do you have?”  
Hutch shrugged his shoulders. “I guess first we need to maybe find a way out of here. Let’s look through those medical cabinets. There’s probably something that maybe can get us through this door or unlock that gate.”   
Just then, they heard the door to the attic open and footsteps coming up the stairs. They went into the room and heard the gate being unlocked. Brent walked in just as Hutch was placing the gun in the cabinet.   
“Figured you two would love it up here.” Brent strolled in front of Hutch.   
Patrick headed for Starsky and pointed a gun at his head.   
“NO!” Hutch cried out.  
“Well then, I guess you’re going to cooperate.” Brent smiled. “I’m going to borrow your friend. Someone wants to talk to him and you’re going to be a good boy and sit down over there.” Seeing that Hutch was not going to budge, Brent said, “You want to see your partner alive again? I suggest you listen, detective.”   
Hutch slowly moved to the chair as Patrick and another guy took Starsky down the steps. Hutch felt his stomach lurch. As Brent followed down the steps, he locked the gate.   
Hutch grabbed the gun and put it in his belt. Then he ran to the gate. By then, the door at the bottom closed. He went back to the medical cabinets and started to look through them.  
Starsky was led down the third floor hallway. He was feeling panicky, but was trying to keep his composure. “You guys really think you’re gonna get away with all of this? As soon as Dobey sees we’re not back tomorrow morning, he’ll send someone looking for us...”  
“Shut up.” Patrick said, still facing forward.   
As they got to the end of the hall, he pushed Starsky to a door. “Open it.” Patrick ordered.  
Starsky reached for the knob and opened the door, just as Patrick shoved him in, almost knocking him to the floor. The door closed.  
Starsky regained his balance and looked back at the door that just shut behind him. Then he looked up around the room. There, in a chair, was Kira.  
“You look good, David. It’s been awhile.”  
Starsky looked down, then back up shaking his head. He could not find the words to respond. This was the first time he had seen her since him and Hutch walked out of Huggy’s that day.   
“Dave, aren’t you going to say anything? After all, we were together once. I thought you loved me? Oh, that’s right,” She got up and walked toward him, “You chose Hutch, I forgot. Well, by the looks of this weekend, I guess you really did choose him.”  
Then Starsky’s blood started to boil, but he kept his cool. “I see you haven’t changed. All your friends seem to still be criminals. I guess there’s no money involved in trying to break up friends and marriages anymore, so you had to get yourself a sugar daddy. Or are you dating Patrick out there too, behind ole’ Brent’s back?”  
Starsky saw he hit a nerve, which pleased him.   
“You haven’t changed at all either, still a smart ass.”  
Starsky smirked, “Still the same, Shweetheart.”  
Kira walked up to him, almost to his face, “I really thought you were dead about a year ago. I heard you got shot and were in the hospital. I almost felt sorry for you. Then I remembered how you and Hutch made a fool out of me. I loved both of you, you know? You two acted like I did something horrible sleeping with both of you. You two shared stewardesses for years! You never found anything wrong with you guys sleeping with a few different women a week, but when I did it, you acted like I was the whore of Babylon!”  
Starsky stood there and looked right in her eyes and said. “Weren’t you?”  
Her face turned to rage and she smacked him hard.  
He raised his hand to his cheek, still with a smirk, said, “Kira, I’m glad things turned out the way they did. All we did was throw out the trash.”  
That made her swing again, but this time Starsky grabbed her hand.   
It was then the door swung open and Patrick was on Starsky and threw him against the wall. He grabbed him again and slammed his head against the door jam.   
Starsky was losing consciousness. The room was spinning and he saw the big bear coming at him again. This time he felt himself being dragged somewhere. He was still very dizzy. He heard a door open and felt himself being picked up and thrown on a bed. Then he felt a burning in his stomach and another. He was being punched, then another in his face and another. He felt hands grabbing his hair and he was being yanked up and punched again. He started to fight back but he couldn’t see where he was punching. He would hit someone but the punches hitting him were coming faster, and harder. He felt himself being pulled on his back and suddenly he was being held on the bed. Then he was turned on his stomach. He felt a hand on his back, then it started to rub up and down.   
He heard, “Take his clothes off, tie him to the bed.”  
Starsky’s stomach lurched. He started fighting as much as he could, but it was not working. The hands holding him were stronger. He felt his clothes being pulled off and then his hands being tied up. He was spread eagle, face down on the bed, and he knew this was not going to be pleasant. All he could think about was Hutch.   
He heard the door open and Patrick’s voice. “Get out. I want him before he’s totally fucked up.”  
Starsky moaned, knowing what was coming. He felt hands running up his legs.  
“He’s a pretty boy. Maybe I’ll have some when you’re done.” The other one said, and they both laughed as the door shut.   
Starsky felt the bed dip. His head was still spinning and hurting from being punched over and over.  
He felt a hand on his back, making its way down to his ass.  
“I watched you and Hutch fuck. It made me so hot. I wanted you from the first time I saw your tight little ass.” His hand went down to Starsky’s butt, and he ran his fingers between his cheeks. He found the tight hole and shoved his finger up it as far as it would go.   
Starsky yelled out.   
“Feel good, cop?” He shoved in as deep as he could, then added two more fingers.   
Starsky felt hot breath in his ear. “You’re gonna enjoy my big cock up there. You’re never gonna want your partner again once you had me.” He pulled out his fingers and Starsky could hear a belt being undone and a zipper coming down. He moaned and fought the ropes that held him. He could feel the ropes burning his wrists and ankles as he fought, then he felt the bed dip again, this time, at the foot of the bed. He felt his cheeks being pulled apart and then something cold and hard being shoved up into him. He cried out. It was vibrating in him. The bed went up again and he felt the first sting of the belt.  
The strikes were fast and hard, the pain up inside him was burning, and the belt felt like he was being ripped apart all over again. He cried out, calling Hutch’s name, yelling that he loved him, wanting somehow for him to hear.   
Then he heard voices. The beating stopped, and the hard object got pulled from his ass. That was relief, but he was preparing for the worst. He closed his eyes.   
He felt a hard smack on his butt, then he felt someone get close to his ear. “Saved by the bell, cop. Don’t worry, maybe we’ll have a go at it later.”   
Starsky heard laughter, then felt his legs being held again. It was then he passed out.

**************************

 

Hutch was frantic. It had been too long. What were they doing to his partner? He thought he heard screams, but he wasn’t sure. He had tried several things to open the gate, but nothing helped. He even tried the door leading to Brent’s room. Right now all he wanted was his partner there with him. Maybe he could think clearer and they both could find a way out. “God, Starsk, where are you?”  
About an hour later he heard the door at the bottom of the steps open. Several people were coming up. The first one opened the gate and came through. Behind him, Patrick had Starsky hung over his shoulder, naked and bloody. He threw him down on the bed and turned to leave.   
“What the fuck did you do to him?!” Hutch screamed.  
Patrick walked away, then turned at the gate, smiling, “You’re lucky I didn’t get a piece of that ass.”He laughed.   
Hutch lunged forward, running for Patrick, just as he closed and locked the gate. Hutch heard him laughing as he walked down the stairs.  
Hutch started to yell back, then he turned to his partner. Noticing they threw his clothes on top of him, he carefully took them off, and saw the open slashes on his back and legs and butt. He wanted to cry. He carefully pulled the dusty cover from under Starsky and adjusted him on the bed, face down. He looked around and saw a cabinet with a stack of folded towels. They looked like someone just put them there. He opened the cabinet, it was basically dust free. He pulled out a few then saw bottles of alcohol. A few were evaporated, but there were a couple large bottles that had about a fourth in them. He opened a bottle and smelled. It still had a faint odor. Better than nothing. Hutch went to his partner and pored some on a towel. He wiped around the whip slashes and then dabbed the sores. When he finally got them all cleaned he saw what looked like clear jelly between his butt cheeks.   
He carefully parted them and saw blood coming from his anus. He took the towel and wiped down his crack and over his anus. Hutch sighed. He kept calm, but wanted to gather his dark knight up in his arms. How could this have happened? He basically led them into an ambush and it was his fault his partner was almost beat to death. He put his hand in the dark curls and stroked his head.   
He got close to his lover’s beat up face and lightly kissed him.   
Hutch could feel the steady breath coming from Starsky. He decided to let him rest. He got up and went back to the cabinet. He pulled out some gauze and went back over to his partner.   
A few hours later, the house was quiet. Hutch figured they either left or were down on the bottom floor. If they had plans to kill them, why didn’t they just kill them, why all the waiting? Who wanted to talk to Starsky? Was it Gunther himself? He was in prison, and for a long time. Kira? Who knows, it could have been Brent’s little game with them. He heard Starsky stirring. He went over to him and sat on the edge of the bed stroking his hair. He glanced at the gauze he had wrapped around Starsky’s body.   
“Hutch...”  
“I’m here, babe. I’m here.” Hutch bent down and kissed his forehead.   
“...What… What happened?”  
“I don’t know, babe, take it easy.” he felt his partner shifting, and trying to sit up. “Hey, take it easy, okay?”  
Starsky felt like his whole body was screaming in pain. His back burned all over and he felt like he had sat down on a telephone pole. “I gotta sit up, Hutch.”  
Hutch helped him up on the side of the bed.   
It was then Starsky realized he had no clothes on.  
He looked down, then up at Hutch. “It’s good to see your beautiful face.” He grinned slightly.  
Hutch smiled and blushed. “I’m glad you’re here too, Gordo.” He reached out, and touched the side of his face carefully, then kissed his mouth gently.  
Starsky looked down, “Well, Kira’s here, and she’s a bit bitter.”  
Hutch couldn’t help but chuckle. “Ya’ think so?”  
That made Starsky chuckle, then he winced and held his stomach.  
Hutch noticed a bit of blood on the corner of his partner’s mouth.   
“Tell me what happened, buddy.”  
“Well,” Starsky said, “Kira said one thing, I told her she was a whore and the next thing I knew, I was a punching bag. I almost got raped by that big ape. Instead, he shoved what I think was a vibrator up me and beat me with a belt. I heard voices come in the room, then I was here.”   
“God, Starsk,” He kissed his lover on his head.  
“Hutch, what are we gonna do?”  
Hutch looked down and took a deep breath, “First, I think we need to get you dressed. If we do find a way out, you need to have clothes on.” He looked back up at Starsky and smiled slightly. Hoping to get a smile from his partner, Hutch said “I don’t want you to catch cold.”  
“M’kay.” Starsky moved and pain shot through him.  
“Here, let me help you.” Hutch carefully helped his partner get dressed. He heard distant thunder and the light from the window was fading with the afternoon. Then they heard the downpour of rain.   
After Starsky was fully dressed, he sat back down on the bed. The clothes felt uncomfortable on his skin. He hurt all over and was still a bit dizzy.   
“Okay, it looks like we’re gonna be in the dark, so I have to find… “ Just as the words started to come out of his mouth they heard a scraping on the mantle. They both looked up and saw a candle in a holder. Hutch walked over to it and looked at the disturbed dust behind where it slid over. Back behind the candle were about five more lying down on their sides. Next to them was a wood box. Hutch opened it up and it contained wood matches.  
He looked around the room and in a quiet voice he said, “Thanks, whoever you are.”  
He went back to his partner and placed the candle holder down by the side of the bed, and lit the candle in it.   
“There, that’s better for now. At least we’ll have a little light to work with. There are more candles up there.” Hutch saw Starsky looking down, holding his stomach. He ran his hand through his hair.   
Starsky looked up at him, “Love ya, Blintz.”  
“Don’t, Starsk, we’re gonna get out of here, okay?” He kissed him, “I love you too, Babe.”  
Starsky managed a small smile then coughed. A small amount of blood came out on his lips.  
Hutch reached for the folded towel he left on the table next to the bed. He wiped his partner’s mouth and handed him the towel. “We gotta get you out of here and to a hospital. How you holding up?”  
“I’m terrific.” Starsky said, taking a deep breath.  
“Good, I’m glad. Hey, we’re getting out of here, okay” Hutch looked around as he said that. In his mind he was thinking, ‘I hope’.  
“I gotta lay down. Hutch.”   
“Oh, okay, here, lay back slow.” Hutch helped his partner back into bed. He saw him shivering and pulled the cover over him. “You need to rest, buddy, we have a long night.”  
“Kay’” Starsky closed his eyes. He moaned, there was not one inch of his body that did not hurt. He tried to rest, but that was not happening. He was slightly turned on his side, facing the candle and fireplace. He stared at the candle until sleep took over.  
Hutch went to the window. He could see part of the roof and down below, he saw Starsky’s car. There were no other cars around it. The rain was pounding on the window and he just stood watching it, looking out in the trees, thinking.  
About two hours passed. Hutch sat for a while watching his now sleeping lover and listening to the rain and thunder. Normally this would relax him. He loved listening to a good storm. But the circumstances were different and he was exhausted from no sleep and over thinking. He got up and went to the window. Again looking out, no other cars were in sight.   
He heard his partner stir. He rushed over and Starsky was trying to push himself up. Hutch helped him sit up.  
“I’d give anything for a drink of ice water.” Starsky said, holding his bruised stomach.   
Hutch went over to the small window. He felt around the edges and found a knob. He pulled it out and started to turn it. The window opened about three or four inches and he could feel the cool breeze and the rain coming in. He smiled and went over to the cabinet. He found a few metal cups. He took two and went back to the window. He placed the cups on the roof outside and watched the rain pour into them. He went back to Starsky. “Water’s coming up, buddy.” He smiled and kissed Starsky’s head.  
After a few minutes he went back to the window and pulled the cups inside. They were full to the brim. He went back over to his partner and sat down next to him. He put one cup on the table and handed the other to Starsky. “Here, it’s not ice water, but it will do for now.”  
Starsky took the cup and emptied it. “That was good.”  
Hutch took the other cup off the table, “You need more?”  
“No… you drink.”   
Hutch smiled and took a drink. That was just like his friend, he always thought of him even when he was in pain, or having problems. He loved him so much it hurt that he couldn’t get him out and to a hospital.   
“Hutch?”  
“What is it, buddy?” Hutch was thinking he was having problems.  
“Who do you think that boy in the picture is?” Starsky asked.  
“Don’t know, probably a great great somebody in the family.”  
“I think he knows who we are.” Starsky groaned as a pain spasm hit him. “I think… he knows we are the good guys.”  
Hutch smiled, “Yeah? Well maybe he has a clue how to get us out of here.”  
“You think he was mistreated?” Starsky wondered.  
“Why do you say that?” Hutch wondered where his partner came up with that.  
“I don’t know, just a feeling I get when I think about him. It’s like he knows we found something out and he wants to get back at them for doing something to him. I know it’s been a long time…but, I don’t know, it’s just a thought.” Starsky doubled over. “Oh ,God, I hurt.”  
Hutch sat next to him and put his arm gently around his partner’s shoulders. He pulled him close and kissed the curly head. “I’m gonna get you out of here soon, babe. Take it easy, you’re gonna be okay.” He closed his eyes, thinking about when they first got here. The first time they were together as lovers. He couldn’t have a better dream. Loving Starsky all these years and now his partner had him heart and soul.   
Starsky’s stomach pain was easing up and he took a deep breath. His head was against his lover’s chest, and he could hear the steady beating of his heart. He looked around the room and something behind them creaked.  
Hutch got up and turned quickly.   
Starsky adjusted himself on the bed so he could look back too.  
Standing by the window was the boy. He had no braces on his legs. He was in what looked like a hospital gown. He was smiling at them.   
Hutch was staring at him. He also was trying to think rationally, and looked down, then back up. The boy was still there.   
Starsky slowly stood up, grabbing Hutch’s arm to keep from toppling over. He turned around, looking at the boy. He felt sorry for the boy. He had seen too many cases where people locked their kids up in rooms or in basements for months. If this was the case with this sick kid, it was like the family didn’t want anyone to know he was here, so they put him up here, and locked him in.   
Then the boy looked at the gate, then back to them. He lifted his hand, as if to wave, but then, put it back down. He slowly faded away. Just then they heard pounding. It sounded like it came from downstairs, working its way up to the attic. It was in the fabric of the air almost. Between the thunder outside and the pounding inside, it was almost like the house was going to explode. Then, just as soon as it started, it stopped. Both men looked at each other.   
“Hutch, go check the gate.”  
Hutch looked at his partner, puzzled. He decided to humor him and went to the gate. He could not believe his eyes. The gate was unlocked and opened a little. He looked back at Starsky. “It’s open.”  
Starsky smiled.   
“Starsk, let’s get going, can you walk okay?”  
“Yeah, even if I couldn’t, I’d crawl.” Starsky made his way to the stairs. He stopped and turned around looking at the portrait. “Thanks, whoever you are.”   
They made their way down the stairs, to the hall.   
Hutch listened for any movement or voices. All you could hear was the thunder and rain. He pulled out the gun he had found and they went to the main stairs. They still heard nothing, nor did they see anyone. It was obvious that they were alone. They went down the stairs, Hutch helping his partner every step of the way.   
Then, Patrick stepped out from the library, gun drawn. Hutch aimed, fired, and it was a clean shot to the head. He bent down and felt his neck. Dead. He grabbed the gun and threw it to Starsky.   
Another of Brent’s goons came from the kitchen, shooting at them both. Starsky ducked behind a pillar and shot from around it and got the gunman in the heart. He fell back on the stairs. Hutch ran to him, kicking his gun out of the way. Two more were heading down the stairs, with Brent and Kira on the landing.   
Brent yelled out, “Kill them! Especially Starsky!”  
One lunged at Hutch and the other headed for Starsky. Bullets started flying and Starsky tackled the gunman who was after him. He punched him and kicked the gun out of his hand. He got shoved against a door jam and he could feel the pain rip though his body from the already bleeding wounds. He saw the guy pick his gun up and aim and Starsky aimed and fired. He got him between the eyes. He slid down the door frame to a sitting position.   
Hutch was throwing his own punches, as him and the other gunman were battling it out in the library entrance. Hutch grabbed for a marble candlestick and hit him on the head, knocking him out.   
In the distance they could hear sirens. They got closer and closer.  
Hutch glanced over and saw Brent and Kira running down the stairs. Brent had a gun.   
“Stop!” Hutch yelled.   
“Ken, I’ve known you since we were kids, you won’t shoot me.” Then he grabbed Kira around the neck with his arm. “But, I will shoot her.”   
Kira shrieked.   
“Let me go, Kenny, and you’ll never see me again. Let me go or her brains will be all over this floor.” Brent looked right in Hutch’s eyes.   
Hutch knew he was telling the truth, he backed up a few steps. The sirens stopped outside. Hutch had to make a move, he couldn’t let him go.  
He heard a shot fired and as if in slow motion, Brent fell to the floor.   
The shot came from his partner, still sitting in the door way to the other room.   
Kira looked around and saw Brent on the floor. She got down, holding him and crying.  
The front door slammed open and officers came piling in. Dobey came through the door.   
“We need an ambulance! Starsky is in bad shape.”  
Hutch was kneeling down beside his partner. “How ya doing?”  
“How do I look?” Starsky asked.  
Hutch chuckled. “You look terrible.”  
“Gee, thanks...” Starsky smiled. “Hutch, just take me to the hospital, I don’t want an ambulance, please? You take me.”  
“Buddy, you sure?” Hutch was concerned.  
“Starsky, I got an ambulance on the way, you’re going to go with them!” Shouted Captain Dobey.  
“Dobey’s right, Starsk, you need to be checked out before we move you. You’re bleeding again from your mouth.”  
“Hutch, I don’t want you to leave me.” Starsky pleaded.  
“I’m not going anywhere, Babe.” Hutch pulled him close.   
As soon as the paramedics were there and working on Starsky, Hutch went to Dobey, filling him in on everything they found in the attic office. Then he saw Kira sitting on the stairs with a blanket around her.   
Hutch walked over to her.   
“Well, looks like you two won again.”  
Hutch shook his head, “Nobody won, Kira. You see all these dead bodies? That’s not winning. How did you get mixed up with him anyway?”  
“He was there for me, Ken, he was there when I needed him. We were going away after all this.” Then she looked over at Brent, lying on the ground. “Why didn’t you just let us leave? We wouldn’t have been back here again. He hated this house, you know? He told me stories of when he was a kid and living here. He said he was always spooked by this place. He said it was haunted, isn’t that crazy?” She chuckled. “I first thought he was talking about his family history. That is one messed up family, all the money they had, and how they got it. They even hid a crippled boy away so nobody would know they had a flaw in their family tree.” She shook her head. “Isn’t that sick? That room up in the attic was where they locked him up.” Then she got quiet.   
Hutch shook his head, “No worse that you letting them beat the crap out of Starsky, I call that sick, Kira.”   
“I actually had feelings for you both. I’m sorry for getting between you guys.” She looked over at Starsky, who was now on a stretcher. “I’m sorry for everything that happened here. I know I’m a big part of what happened to him.”  
Hutch touched her shoulder. “If you really care, you need to tell them everything you can about Brent. You can right this Kira, that will be a big help for us and for you too. I don’t understand a lot of things with you. My question is, are you still a cop? I would assume that answer is no, if you were, you wouldn’t be here. Kira, in order to find someone who makes you happy, you need to find the happiness in you first. I wish you all the luck in the world.” He squeezed her arm, then he turned, and went over to his partner.   
“Hey, buddy. I see they got you ready to go.” Hutch patted his hands.  
“Yeah. You’re coming, right?” Starsky asked.  
“Yes. I have to give Dobey your keys, and our bags are still by the front door. I’m gonna put them in your car and then go with you in the ambulance, okay?”  
“Kay’” Starsky smiled.  
Hutch grabbed the bags and headed out the door onto the porch. He was never so happy to see that striped red tomato in his life. He threw the bags in the back seat and headed to Dobey.  
“Here are Starsky’s keys, I’m heading to the hospital. Are you meeting us there?”  
“Yeah. I have some things to finish up here, then I’ll see you both there. I’ll have an officer drop the car off there for you.” Dobey looked at Hutch and put his hand on his shoulder. “I’m glad you guys are okay. I was worried when I got a call that your friend Brent was involved with Gunther. It was all over the prison that something was going down. Then, a snitch went to the Warden, and told him you two were being set up. Go take care of your partner.”  
“Thanks.” Hutch hurried to the waiting ambulance and got in back with Starsky.

 

 

Epilogue

 

A month later, Starsky was getting better. His sores from the strap were healed and there was no damage internally from all the punches he endured. It was a rainy day and Starsky was sitting in the greenhouse drinking a beer and reading the paper. He looked up, watching the rain run off the glass, the memory of the Attic at the mansion, and the boy, came back to him. He often wondered about going back there, and really finding out what happen to him. Even if they did, there was nothing that could be done now. He thought about the first time him and Hutch made love in that place, that made him smile, he closed his eyes.  
“Penny for your thoughts.” Hutch stood at the doorway, smiling at his lover.  
Starsky looked at him, smiling back, “Thinking about you.”  
“Oh?”  
“Thinking about the first time we were together at the Mansion.” Starsky said, looking at his blue eyed lover.  
Hutch walked over to him, and held out his hand, helping him up. “You were, huh.”  
He stood and he wrapped his arms around Hutch’s waist and pulled him close. He kissed him. “Yeah I was. In light of everything that happened, I’m glad you brought me there.”   
“I fixed us some lunch,” Hutch kissed him again.  
“Good, I’m starved. Did anyone ever tell you, you looked good enough to eat?”  
Hutch smiled, and kissed him. “Just you. I love you, Starsk, I never want to let you go.”  
Starsky smiled. “Then don’t.” He kissed him. Then said, “You ever wonder about all the stuff we found in the attic and what really happened to that little boy? He did help us ya know, maybe we should find out.”  
Hutch looked at his lover, “There’s nothing we can do even if we did find out. It’s been so long, that was way back in the early 1900’s. They couldn’t even pin it on Brent if he were alive.”   
“Maybe you’re right. I just can’t help thinking about the boy, and all the stuff we found up there.”  
Hutch pulled his lover close and gave him a kiss. “Right now, I want to forget what we found. I want to celebrate what I found… you.” He pulled him towards the kitchen and continued kissing him all the way there.


End file.
